Much like the last post on Chinese rock, Chinese rap is also having trouble finding popularity in mainstream music worldwide. Another similarity is the western influence on this music as well and the Chinese imitation of western rap, hip-hop music. Myra Washington's article notes that in order to achieve success "hip-hop's crossover has involved the purposeful exportation of stereotypical depictions of Blackness, which plays directly into the White mainstream's notion of the hypersexed, hypermasculine, Black male body" (Washington, 2).
What is interesting about the photo above found at http://www.atowe.com/2010/10/2145/50-cent-soulja-boys-xxl-cover-too-homo/ is this cover was called homosexual, the opposite of what hip-hop represents. This proves just how masculine hip hop is expected to be that a man can't even have his arm around, barely touching another man without it being considered "homo." This is in great opposition to how Asian males are perceived, which is usually either feminine or asexual. In White culture, the Asian male is usually depicted as mysterious with "great powers of deduction" with "fortune cookie" dialogue. He is quiet, nonthreatening, and positive. So how does the Asian male find success in hip hop?
Hip hop has its roots in New York and the Caribbean and is "a successful cross-cultural experiment" (Washington, 3). The anger in hip hop is created from frustration with some of Nixon's policies, especially the destruction of urban neighborhoods. Much like Chinese rock, authenticity in hip hop is vital, epitomized in the hip hop saying "keep it real." Often this authenticity is also associated with race and "Blackness," fear, and desire. As stated in the previous paragraph, the western view of the Asian male is neither one to be feared nor desired. Also to be considered authentic, in the hip hop community, one must be socially disadvantaged, this is also not something usually associated with Asian society. The West usually views the Asian male as intelligent and therefore wealthy. Since being from the "hoods" is what so much of rap and hip hop is about, Asian rappers are greatly disadvantaged to gain authenticity since they of course are not from the same "hoods." Eugene Franklin Wong states that "ethnicity is a hot commodity" and it appears many Asians have been sold African American/Caribbean. However, if someone is disadvantaged and struggling, then it is understandable how they would be drawn to hip hop. Also, since Asian men are perceived as non-masculine, it is also understandable why they would want to look like these hypermasculine males in hip hop. So while there are Asian communities who participate in hip hop, hip hop in the west is resistant and don't allow them inside their culture. John Tomlinson (2011) brings up the point of how “local actions can have global consequences” which is definitely seen in this research of hip hop. The local impact of the anger against Nixon caught on and became something so large it could not be contained with the borders of New York or even America. Douglas Kellner and Clayton Pierce (2007) chapter also relates to this copy-cat method of globalization because it talks about the negative impacts of globalization and the homogenizing of culture. But if an artist brings their own culture into a western piece of music, such as hip hop, the exotic spin on a musical style we already know “ . . . often fall into a position of either blind enthusiasm and/or rejectionism” (385). So we may either love it or hate it. The photo below is gathered from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjApt3dntI_ClJJypQKr1QVAVmLT5pqWHEujV3mcZqcSepi0uGVimEJ62ih0q3eru7oF-w8fhPneafqMV4YiIpCsFb2FSFhO0etNyIkTOTIAEVznUAVeZTE_z7NPJioSBSNnX9x_HdnSXI/s1600/chinese+rapper.jpg.
In a way, the globalization of hip hop music has done more damage (not necessarily negative) to the Asian culture than one hundred years of colonization could have done. Much like the Indian popularity of the British sport of cricket from the last post, Asian youth have picked up on the "coolness" of Western hip hop. They can also be westernized while being in direct opposition to it since hip hop was created to show frustration with the American government. Hip hop does not become less saturated because of the differences of race, masculinity, and space but are perhaps even more saturated because Asians feel they have to overcompensate for these differences. They also insert their own cultural values into some of these gaps, which creates a form of localization. Is this cultural imperialism? Probably, but it's not something that any one person or culture decided to go out and create. The hip hop community didn't target Asian youth, but Asian youth targeted hip hop. That's like as if Britain created such a "cool" cricket sporting culture, the way they dress, the way they act, and "Britishness" was something that Indians replicated on their own without being colonized.
The exception is M.I.A. This is a Sri Lankan female rapper and the reason she has found western approval and popularity is because she is female. Above is her most popular song "Paper Plans" found here. She doesn't have to conform to the hypermasculine ideals of hip hop. She still has political messages, but people want to hear them because she is attractive and exotic. As the daughter of a revolutionary, immigrant, and person of color, she also gains credibility in the hip hop community. It also helps that most of her music is in English, although some is in Tamil. Her music also talks of the "hood" but goes beyond that by saying how she grew up in a mud hut in the jungle with bullets flying past her and her school burning down. This fits with Asian hip hop overcompensating by not growing up in the "hood" she takes it one step further, so such impoverishment that an upbringing in Harlem would be a dream. However, her authenticity is still in question because simply put, she isn't Black.
M.I.A. has a more current video from her song "Born Free" which has a very political message. In it, American troops are depicted rounding up "Ginger" or red-headed people and killing them, even children. The video was removed multiple times from Youtube.com and has received a lot of criticism. It was brought out around the same time as the Arizona law that stated they can detain anyone who they don't believe to be a citizen. This could also be about racial prejudice, that she herself may have faced. There is also a direct link to the Holocaust. Perhaps she was just trying to make the most controversial music video ever since she got complaints of overly political messages in the past- she did this to really stick it to them. Warning- only watch the video if you want to see obese naked people having sex and people being shot in the head. Seriously, please don't watch it if you are offended easily. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/04/mia-makes-her-stance-utterly-clear-with-born-free-video-1.html. You can watch this video here.
Another Asian rapper, Panjabi MC has had a small amount of success with his song "Mundian To Bach Ke" in 1998, but it wasn't successful until 2003 when Jay-Z remixed it with his own rap over it. You can watch this video here. Without someone already accepted into the community supporting an artist, it is very hard to gain credibility and acceptance if you do not meet the basic requirements, such as being from the hood or being Black. Panjabi MC had even more against him since he was Arab and many Americans view Arabs as terrorists and were afraid his songs had an anti-American political message. Perhaps by letting Asian hip hop artists into the mainstream like M.I.A and Panjabi MC, we can learn to adjust our stereotypes, like that Arabs are terrorists or that Asian males are feminine.
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